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Examples of racism in mice and men
Of mice and men racism/discrimination
Of mice and men racism essay
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Discrimination is a problem that plagues those whose qualities are vulnerable. There are many examples of discrimination in the novel, Of Mice and Men. The characters face discrimination in many different ways including racial, age, gender, and disability. Crooks, the black stable buck, is the victim of racial discrimination. Candy, the old swamper, is a victim of the age discrimination. The victim of gender discrimination is Curley's wife because she is a woman. Life of the victims is hard because of the things they have to go through. Lastly, Lennie is mentally handicap so he discriminated against because of that. Racial discrimination has been around for a long time, judging people for the color of their skin. Crooks is affected by this because he is black. Blacks in that time were thought as lesser than the white people. The racial discrimination affects Crooks' life in only negative ways. He is plagued by loneliness because of the color of his skin. His lack of company drives him crazy. Only when Lennie comes in to his room does he feel less lonely. He talked of his loneliness using a hypothetical scenario of George leaving Lennie. Crooks' responds to this discrimination by staying in his barn and being secluded. He doesn't want anyone to be in there but deep down he does so he can have some company. He isn't wanted in the bunk house or to play cards with the others because he is black. This effected the story by letting people walk all over him, letting them think they can do whatever they want, and ultimately making the people think they have a lot of power when really they do not. Age discrimination affects the old and the young. It causes people to think they can just walk all over the person being discriminated ... ... middle of paper ... ...aused his own demise by killing Curley’s wife and making George shoot him. Overall discrimination is an awful thing. It is like a STD, it can be passed from parent to child, or someone can become infected if you don’t watch out. Discrimination is also like the plague. It sweeps over a large amount of people, infecting most, and most don’t survive. Though today much of the discrimination is gone, just like the plague, but it is still there. Unfortunately for some people, they have to deal with people discrimination from others. Whether it be discrimination of one’s race, age, disability, or gender. Discrimination has numerous damaging effects to someone’s life. In Of Mice and Men the unlucky victims of discrimination also suffer from the same effects. They allow for people to have control of them and walk all over them. Discrimination is like a fire... It hurts.
The time period this novel was written, which was the 1930’s, the discrimination was based on race. Crooks is not allowed in the bunkhouse with the white ranch hands. Many of the men have never seen where Crooks lived on the farm. Stated in the novel, “Candy leaned against the wall beside the broken collar while he scratched his wrist stump. ‘I been here a long time,’ he said. ‘An Crooks been here a long time. This’s the first time i ever been in his room. Crooks said darkly, ‘Guys don’t come into a colored man’s room very much’”
Several characters in the novel Of Mice and Men are presented with additional obstacles throughout the book. Whether because of color, sex, or disabilities, John Steinbeck purposefully did this to illustrate oppression. Of Mice and Men explores the effects of systemic oppression on women, African-Americans, and people with disabilities.
Although discrimination is still present during the time period of the book, Crooks still attempts to make friends. Others treat Crooks unjust because he is different from others given that he is black. He does not know how to treat others because of the way others treat him; with disrespect. Furthermore, he does not know how to vent his frustration and as a result, lashes out at others because they are cruel to him. Crooks is not allowed to participate in daily events with white people. He is treated unfairly and therefore acts the same way toward the white people (the ones who offended him.)
First and foremost, Crooks is a person who gets treated with discrimination, much more than anyone else. Simply because he is black and has a crooked back, from which he received his name from. People continuously treat him horribly, one person being Curley’s Wife. “Well you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even
Loneliness has made Crook's a very bitter and isolated man. He is truly not able to leave this situation because of his race. The other men at the ranch do not communicate with Crooks unless he is working because he is black. Other than when they are working, the other men ignore Crooks off all of their activities. Crooks is very isolated, and doesn?t seem to want any company. He has become bitter and known to lash out at people because of the loneliness that he has. Crooks's emotions are showed to the reader when he talks to Lennie in his room about having no one to relate to and communicate with. "Maybe you can see now. You got George. You know he's goin' to come back. S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunk house and play rummy `cuase you was black...A guy needs somebody--to be near him." Crooks has never been treated well by anyone because he is black. This has affected Crooks. Crooks's was shocked when...
An example of how the men are discriminative towards Crooks is that he is forced to live in a shack away from the bunkhouse and also Crooks says that "They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say "I stink" and "I ain't wanted in the bunkhouse." An example of when Curley's Wife is critical towards Crooks is when she looks into his room to see what Lennie and Crooks are doing and then she states, shaking her head, that they left the weak ones behind. Also, she threatens to have Crooks hanged because a black man should never talk to a white woman the way he just had. As a result of all of these discriminatory acts against him, Crooks feels unwanted and lonely because of his color and placement on the farm.
These examples illustrated the general idea of discrimination due to the isolation of characters. Some were discriminated against because they were different and didn’t fit in with the other people at the ranch. Once we finished the story, I thought that it was just a story about two men’s lives but after deeper thought, I realize that there is much more to it. There are problems occurring in the story that still happen today and the story does a great job in showing us that. The author of the story may be trying to tell the readers that discrimination was a big problem back then, and is still a big problem today. In cases nowadays, some people are discriminated against and judged because of small characteristics that a person may have. People get discriminated against all the time about these things and the author may be telling us that we should think twice about discriminating against
The world is universally filled with injustice, therefore, humanity has dealt with the topic of discrimination. Injustice in our society occurs when it showcases several individuals disrespecting one another about their natural identity. In today’s world, discrimination can be categorized into many different groups, such as ageism, racism, and sexism. In our society every individual has been a victim or an oppressor at some point. Therefore, we should be prepared to face the challenges of injustice by standing up for individuals who are victims of discrimination. The novel Of Mice and Men deals with the types of discrimination that involve individuals like Candy who face injustice in different ways. Personally, I have also experienced discrimination. Additionally, a historical Canadian named Viola Desmond had faced discrimination and was determined to confront the issue of discrimination against her race. Therefore, we should be
Have you ever experienced discrimination or witnessed someone treat another person with cruelness and hate? In the novella, “Of Mice and Men”, by john steinbeck, three main types of discrimination are shown. The time period of the book is set in is during the great depression, allowing us to see what life was like for women, disabled, and most importantly, colored people. One of the main ideas suggested throughout the book, is the fact that discrimination comes in so many different forms, whether we notice it or not. Characters that are discriminated throughout the book are Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Lennie.
“Meanings justify the differential treatment that groups receive as some groups are deemed more worthy of, and eligible to receive, society’s valued resources than others. It now serves as a way to treat people unfairly” (Smith, Racilization). Discrimination perpetuates race and leads to racial inequality. Discrimination can be categorical or statistical. Categorical discrimination is unfair treatment from the discriminator of people from a particular social group because he believes this discrimination is mandatory for acceptance into his social group. Statistical discrimination is unfair treatment of an individual because of the preconceived notions that are prevalent surrounding the social group they take part
Discrimination happens every day, whether inadvertently or not. This mindset has been practiced for thousands upon thousands of years. We live in a society that is quick to judge other individuals based on their cultural background, race, age, even their financial status. Discrimination has been an ongoing issue throughout the world since the beginning of time. Women, throughout history, have experienced discrimination first hand for a long time. The women’s cultural background, race, financial status mattered, but not as much as the fact that she was a woman first. For example, women were thought of as fragile individuals with bodies that were not built to a man’s standard. For thousands
Racial segregation has always been a problem in the U.S. Black people have always been pushed off the society and regarded as property, thus becoming lonely. In Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Crooks is the only black guy in the entire story. Crooks has been pushed off to the side, not talking anyone and living by his own. Furthermore, he acts rude to people around him as a result of being alone for a long time. Because of being left out and pushed off the society due to racial segregation, Crooks acts cynical of others; he tries to make them feel how he does, alone.
While he has a crooked spine that causes his to bend to the left, he is an intelligent man, and has farm experience from the farm he grew up on. However, to the other men, he's very visible because of his color causing him to be excluded from the rest of the group most of the time. Like when the workers do activities for pass time, Crooks is never involved: “They play cards in there but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, all of you stink to me” (68). Although, Crook’s color is making him highly visible, he's made invisible by always being separated from everyone else and what they're doing. This in turn, has made Crooks bitter in a way saying “He kept his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs” (67). Him turning bitter and distant is an effect of being made to feel unimportant and unwanted. Crooks doesn't have anyone, not a family, friends, or a place that he belongs among the other men. So, he looks for something that does belong to him and makes sure no one can take that away from him: “You got no right to come in my room. Nobody got any right in here but me” (68). This further shows how he felt hurt from being isolated from the bunkhouse, so the only way he can get equal is restricting everyone to stay out of his room, the only place he can feel he belongs. Overall, Crooks is so visible from his dark complexion that it makes him invisible, through the discrimination of the times he's made as invisible as he is visible. In turn making him bitterly further isolate himself from others to prevent being hurt even
Crooks was a black, physically disabled rancher. All of these combined caused him to be far from included in other’s activities and lives. All the same, Crooks refused to be pushed around by most. Crooks said to Lennie when he entered his room, “You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me” (Of Mice 68). Although Lennie is eventually allowed into his room, Crooks would not stand for anyone disrespecting his rights. He had enough self-assurance to defend his space even though blacks would normally not speak up for themselves. Crooks believed he was worthy to his private place thus making him dignified. Crooks also refused charity. When Lennie and Candy spoke to him about their plans with the farm Crooks was very intrigued. At first thought, Crooks wanted to join them with their plans, but after some deliberation Crooks backed out (Of Mice 83). He had too much respect for himself to accept charity and live with people whom he would not be helpful to. Although it would have benefited him to live with them, Crooks exhibited his strength and chose the dignified route. The strength Crooks showed attributed him with
Crooks was undeserving of the neglect and ignorance of the other men, but received it anyways because his race was detested in his society. Gender and personality was the source of Curley’s wife’s discriminatory treatment from the other men. Lastly, shameful prejudice was directed toward Lennie, caused by his mental incapabilities and his strange social skills. Today, like all three of these characters, people experience prejudices caused by characteristics that they have no control over. People are judged because of their beauty, skin, gender, and capabilities, but that is just what makes them unique, and that is what makes prejudice wrong. Being unique is what brings out a person’s character, and it should not be detested by society, especially if society promotes